News

Australian Racehorse Of The Year Category Finalists Announced

9th Sep 2012

Racing Victoria - Sunday, 9 September 2012

The category finalists for the 2012 Australian Racehorse of the Year Awards presented by Sky Racing World, TABCORP and Staging Connections have been announced today with a star-studded Champion Three-Year-Old Filly category among the highlights.

Victorian stars Atlantic Jewel and Mosheen (pictured) will square off with classy New South Wales duo Sea Siren and Streama in what is shaping as one of the most intriguing categories with the quartet all enjoying multiple Group 1 success.

The Champion Three-Year-Old Filly will be announced at the Australian Racehorse of the Year Awards at Peninsula at Docklands, Melbourne next Sunday night, 16 September.

Seven category award winners will be unveiled before the Sky Racing World Australian Racehorse of the Year is crowned, with the ceremony to be broadcast live on Sky Racing World from 8.30pm (AET).

The awards are voted on by members of Australia’s racing media, along with senior administrators from the principal racing authorities and metropolitan racing clubs nationwide.

Following the collation of their votes, based on performances during the 2011-12 racing season (1 August – 31 July), the top four vote-getters in each category have been announced as the finalists.

The Mark Kavanagh-trained Atlantic Jewel, who was unbeaten in seven starts as a three-year-old, and the Robert Smerdon-trained Mosheen, who claimed four Group 1 titles including the Australian-Randwick Guineas double against the colts, are finalists in two categories.

The pair, along with Gai Waterhouse-trained star More Joyous and rejuvenated import Manighar, feature as finalists for the Monjon Australia Champion Middle Distance Award.

More Joyous won five feature races during the season, including the middle distance Group 1 treble of the Queen of the Turf, Doncaster Handicap and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Manighar, who secured a middle distance Group 1 double in the Australian Cup and Ranvet Stakes, is also a finalist for the New Zealand Thoroughbred Marketing Champion Stayer Award.

The former European gelding’s win in the Group 1 The BMW for new trainer Peter Moody has been recognised in that category alongside the staying performances of Melbourne Cup winner Dunaden, Caulfield Cup winner Southern Speed and dual Group 2 winning stayer Americain.

And while she may be currently on the sidelines, Manighar’s stablemate Black Caviar is in the running to defend her crown as the Inglis Bloodstock Champion Sprinter after nine successive wins in 2011-12.

The unbeaten Victorian mare heads a field that includes arch rival and Newmarket Handicap winner Hay List, Paul Messara’s globetrotting mare Ortensia and dual Group 1-winning three-year-old colt Sepoy.

The Peter Snowden-trained, Darley-owned Sepoy is also a finalist for the Mitchelton Champion Three-Year-Old Colt or Gelding Award alongside former stablemate Helmet and Sydney-trained Group 1 winners Foxwedge and Manawanui.

Black Caviar’s half brother All Too Hard is among the finalists for the Eliza Park Champion Two-Year-Old award. Sydney Triple Crown winner Pierro, Blue Diamond Stakes-winning filly Samaready and Group 1-winning Queensland colt Sizzling are also in the running to be named the nation’s top juvenile.

Robert Smerdon has two finalists in the Staging Connections Champion Jumper Award in two-time winner Black And Bent and Grand National Hurdle winner Brungle Cry. The season’s premier steeplechase performers Awakening Dream and Bashboy round out the category’s four finalists.

The category finalists, in alphabetical order, are as follows;

Eliza Park Champion Two-Year-Old Award Finalists

• All Too Hard
• Pierro
• Samaready
• Sizzling

New Zealand Bloodstock Champion Three-Year-Old Filly Award Finalists

• Atlantic Jewel
• Mosheen
• Sea Siren
• Streama

Mitchelton Champion Three-Year-Old Colt or Gelding Award Finalists

• Foxwedge
• Helmet
• Manawanui
• Sepoy

Inglis Bloodstock Champion Sprinter Award Finalists

• Black Caviar
• Hay List
• Ortensia
• Sepoy

Monjon Australia Champion Middle Distance Award Finalists

• Atlantic Jewel
• Manighar
• More Joyous
• Mosheen

New Zealand Thoroughbred Marketing Champion Stayer Award Finalists

• Americain
• Dunaden
• Manighar
• Southern Speed

Staging Connections Champion Jumper Award Finalists

• Awakening Dream
• Bashboy
• Black And Bent
• Brungle Cry

Sky Racing World Australian Racehorse of the Year

Each category finalist is eligible for the title of Sky Racing World Australian Racehorse of the Year with the five finalists to be announced during next Sunday’s awards ceremony.

Notes

Voting for the awards is based on performances anywhere in Australia during the racing season (1 August – 31 July) and on international performances by Australian-trained horses. An Australian-trained horse is defined as a horse trained by a trainer licensed in Australia and who has a permanent training base in any state or territory of Australia. Under the conditions, Black Caviar and Ortensia have been judged on both their Australian and international performances during the 2011-12 racing season only.

The Champion Sprinter Award is based only on performances of horses in races of up to and including 1400 metres. The Champion Middle Distance Award is based only on performances of horses in races between 1401 metres and 2199 metres. The Champion Stayer Award is based only on performances of horses in races of 2200 metres and longer. The Champion Jumper Award takes into account performances between 1 March 2012 and 25 August 2012 only.